Overcome Writer's Block - 2

You're coming out of a client meeting, pumped up because it went really well. You want to craft a thank you letter--indeed, you're fired up to, the meeting went so well--and can't wait to get back to your computer.

On the way back to your office (or hotel room) you begin formulating the letter in your head. It's a beauty, too, from start to finish. You kick yourself for not having a recorder, but figure what the heck; you'll be at your computer shortly.

So you arrive back in your office, boot up your computer, and prepare to write this wonderful letter that's been floating on the top of your mind like a hologram. You plop down at your desk, put fingers to keyboard and....

Nothing.

You try to type. Nothing. Try again. Still nothing. The words just won't materialize on your screen. The letter is still planted in your head--you can just about reach out and grab it--but nothing happens. You simply are unable to write the letter you were almost jumping out of your shorts about just moments earlier.

What's going on here?

Put simply, your brain is getting in the way of a good piece of copy. Oh, it means well, but it's developed a mind of its own. And that's preventing you from completing your assignment.

Recall that as part of the writing process, you edit your material before sending it out. That process comes naturally now. As a result, whenever your brain sees some copy, it wants to edit or improve. You're stuck in this endless writing and editing loop. Here's what you do.

1. Start typing. Type whatever comes to mind about that topic. Could be phrases, sentences, bullet points, anything. Don't worry about grammar, order, and such.

2. Open a new page. Review what you've typed, looking for commonalities. Certain phrases will be related; bring those together to form a sentence.

3. Review that sentence. As you read it you will instinctively ask yourself, "What would I say next?" Other portions of your original notes will now come into play. Before you know it, you will have a draft of your letter.

4. Edit, proof, and and sent it out.

The key here is to give your brain a reference point; the initial sentence you created fulfills that need. With that on hand, you will fly through your project. Try this the next time you're having trouble writing a letter, column, or article.

HONE YOUR WRITING SKILLS, AND TAKE THEM TO A NEW LEVEL

If you're ready to take your writing to a new level, check out these great resources. To ramp up your writing, choose 101 Ways to power up your writing. Every business can use a powerful e-newsletter to tell its story. Perhaps you've always wanted to write a children's book. Well, now you can.